Palestinian solidarity rallies today a huge success in the most difficult of times for everyone
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
14 September 2023
Media Release:
PSNA is pleased with the large turnout of Palestinians and Palestinian supporters at rallies around the country today.
The rallies, which began with a minute of silence to remember all the civilians killed in the last week, had two aims:
To condemn 75 years of Israeli war crimes against the Palestinian people
To demand the government speak out against these war crimes. Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has been happy to condemn attacks on Israeli civilians but has been deathly silent on the carnage Israel is once more inflicting on the civilian people of Gaza.
Dunedin (200), Christchurch (500), Auckland (3000) were the largest but gatherings also took place in small centres like Napier, New Plymouth, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Whanganui and New Plymouth.
There has been plenty of anti-Palestinian racism on display this week on line with the pro-Israel lobby condemning anyone flying a Palestinian flag and trying to drive Palestinians in New Zealand into a dark corner. Palestinians blew that idea apart today.
There are some excellent video clips on my Facebook page here of the rally in Christchurch. We are happy for any media to use it if they want to do so.
Just to be clear PSNA condemns all attack on civilians as a war crime under the Fourth Geneva Convention – it’s appalling our Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has hasn’t been prepared to call out Israeli war crimes.
John Minto
National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
0220850161
Further background to the rallies
The tragic events in Israel/Palestine these past few days have highlighted the absolute failure of western governments like New Zealand to hold Israel accountable for its myriad war crimes against the Palestinian people for over 75 years.
Even in the past year the New Zealand government has failed to speak up despite obvious signs that unbearable pressure was building in Palestine following the election in late 2022 of the most extreme far-right government in Israel’s history. This new government has taken numerous steps to ramp up pressure on Palestinians everywhere in the occupied Palestinian territories.
It announced the building of more illegal Israeli settlements on Palestinian land
Encouraged attacks on Palestinian towns villages and rural communities by illegal Israeli settlers and provided Israeli military support for the settlers
Organised highly provocative incursions into the Al Aqsa mosque compound by Israeli government ministers
Justified and casualised the killing of Palestinians resisting the Israeli occupation of their country (over 250 Palestinians were killed in the first nine months of this year including dozens of children)
The total silence of western governments such as New Zealand to these developments has emboldened Israel to act with impunity as it bulldozes more Palestinian land, builds more illegal settlements.
The reaction from Hamas when it came has shocked and appalled Israelis, Palestinians and most of the world community.
Palestinian Solidarity Network Aotearoa has condemned the Hamas attack on civilians as a war crime under the Fourth Geneva Convention, just as we condemn any attack on civilians no matter who the attacker is. But unlike our Prime Minister, and most western governments, we also condemn Israeli war crimes.
It is a war crime to use collective punishment against civilian populations. In other words it is unlawful to punish a whole group for the actions of a few. It is also unlawful to withhold, food, water and the essentials of life from people living under military occupation as Israel is doing to Gaza.
The New Zealand government must not only condemn war crimes committed by Hamas but it must also condemn war crimes against the Palestinian people.
But Prime Minister Chris Hipkins has not once this year condemned Israeli war crimes and even after the events of the past few days he is silent. For the government, Palestinian lives matter less than Israeli lives.
Meanwhile Israel has announced preparations to commit more war crimes against Palestinians.
“We are fighting against human animals” said Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant yesterday as he announced what he called a “complete siege” on Gaza which Israel is set to impose.
Hearing racist, dehumanising, language about Palestinians from Israeli politicians is nothing new but this time Israel is using genocidal language to justify the massive death toll which they are planning to inflict on Palestinian refugees in Gaza – refugees created through war crimes committed by Israeli militias in 1948.
On Saturday Palestinians and their supporters are holding rallies and vigils around New Zealand to demand our government speak out and condemn not only the killing of Israeli civilians but also the slaughter of Palestinian civilians in Gaza. We will be demanding the government take action to hold Israel to account for the crimes of its occupation of Palestine in the same way we have held Russia to account for its crimes against the Ukrainian people in its occupation of Ukraine.
The start of each rally will include a minute of silence to remember all the civilians – Palestinians and Israelis – who have been killed in the last week.
John Minto
National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
0220850161
John Minto
John Minto
National Chair
Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa
New Zealand 0220850161
John Minto is also former National Organiser for HART (Halt All Racist Tours) which successfully campaigned to stop rugby contact between New Zealand and apartheid South Africa in the 1970s and 1980s.